Recipes

Pineapple Salsa

Pineapple salsa

2 cups fresh pineapple cut into small chunks
1/3 cup of sweet onion diced
1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1/4 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

1. Prepare all the ingredients as listed above.

2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

3. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes before serving.

Serve the salsa in the same manner as you would any salsa- with chips, on top of grilled meat, with some grilled shrimp skewers, or grilled tilapia.

Dressing & Condiments, Paleo, Recipes, Vegetarian, Whole 30

26

Grilled Artichokes

I absolutely love artichokes. In the past I’ve simply steamed the artichokes whole and then removed the undesired parts as I ate it. Since we are coming up on summer I wanted to play around with grilling artichokes.I didn’t want to grill them whole because I’m sure it would take forever. I found this great video from Gourmet Magazine on how to trim artichokes.

Here is what you will need:
1/2 to 1 artichoke per person.
1 recipe of Roasted Garlic and Bacon Aioli
To make it vegetarian serve it with Roasted Garlic Aioli instead

1. Simply trim the artichokes as shown on the video (linked above) then cut them in half.

2. Steam the artichokes for 10-15 minutes. Remove from pan and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process then pat them dry.

3. Drizzle the artichokes with olive oil, salt, & pepper.

4. Grill the artichokes on heated grill for 3-5 minutes each side to char slightly.

5. Serve them with aioli.

Make it vegetarian, Paleo, Recipes, Sauces, Tips and tricks, Vegetarian, Whole 30

Zesty Salmon Cakes

Zesty Salmon Cakes

1 (14.5 ounce) can of Salmon
¼ cup green onion
¼ cup yellow onion minced
¼ cup grated carrot
1/3 cup celery- finely diced
1 teaspoon lemon zest
½ Tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
A few grinds of fresh black pepper
¼ cup almond meal
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons ghee
Lemon wedges to serve

Open the can of salmon, drain the liquid from the can, and transfer the salmon to a mixing bowl. Use your fingers to break up the fish into flakes and remove the bones.
Add the remaining ingredients to the salmon and mix well with hands to combine.
Measure about 1/3 cup scoop of the mixture and form into a patty that is approximately 1 inch think and 2 inches wide. Continue making patties until all the mixture is used- it should make approximately 4-6 patties.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat and melt the ghee.
Add 3-4 patties at a time (or whatever will fit) into the skillet and fry each side approximately 3 minutes or until browned. Continue cooking all the salmon cakes until they are all finished.
Serve with roasted garlic aioli and lemon wedges.

Paleo, Recipes, Whole 30

Bacon and Roasted Garlic Aioli

Alicia Hamilton2

Bacon and Roasted Garlic aioli
6 cloves of garlic
3 slices of compliant bacon
Olive oil for drizzling
1 egg yolk from a large egg
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard- make sure it is compliant!
1 cup extra light tasting olive oil
¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
Kitchen supplies needed:
A small sheet of foil
Stick blender with immersion blender cup or a wide mouth mason jar
Measuring spoons
1 cup, spouted measuring cup- I like Pyrex- for measuring the olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Place 6 cloves of garlic (peels still on) on the foil and drizzle with a little olive oil and a small sprinkle of kosher salt. Fold the foil into a packet and place in the preheated oven. Roast the garlic in the oven for approximately 35 minutes or until the garlic is soft and slightly browned. Let the garlic cool for a little while before removing the cloves from the peels and smashing and chopping until the garlic is in small pieces.

Fry the bacon over medium heat until browned and crispy. Drain the bacon on a paper towel and reserve the bacon grease. Once cool enough to handle break the bacon into small pieces.

Place egg yolk, water, lemon juice, mustard, and salt at the bottom of the cup.

Pour the bacon grease into the spouted measuring cup and then pour in the olive oil until 1 cup of oil is reached. Pour the oil on top of other ingredients in the blending cup.

Let all the ingredients settle for 45 seconds.

Place head of the stick blender all the way at the bottom of the cup. Switch the blender on and slowly lift the head of blender and tilt as necessary until all the oil has been emulsified.

Mix in the garlic and bacon pieces into the mayonnaise until well combined.

Dressing & Condiments, Paleo, Recipes, Sauces, Whole 30

Roasted Garlic Aioli

Alicia Hamilton3

Roasted Garlic Aioli

6 cloves of garlic
Olive oil for drizzling
1 egg yolk from a large egg
1 Tablespoon water
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard- make sure it is compliant!
1 cup extra light olive oil
¼ teaspoon of kosher salt

Kitchen supplies needed:
A small sheet of foil
Stick blender with immersion blender cup or a wide mouth mason jar
Measuring spoons
1 cup, spouted measuring cup- I like Pyrex
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place 6 cloves of garlic (peels still on) on the foil and drizzle with a little olive oil and a small sprinkle of kosher salt. Fold the foil into a packet and place in the preheated oven. Roast the garlic in the oven for approximately 35 minutes or until the garlic is soft and slightly browned. Let the garlic cool for a little while before removing the cloves from the peels and smashing and chopping until the garlic is in small pieces.

3. Place egg yolk, water, lemon juice, mustard, and salt at the bottom of the cup.

4. Measure the oil using the measuring cup and pour the oil on top of other ingredients in the cup.

5. Let all the ingredients settle for 45 seconds.

6. Place head of the stick blender all the way at the bottom of the cup. Switch the blender on and slowly lift the head of blender and tilt as necessary until all the oil has been emulsified.

7. Mix in the garlic into the mayonnaise.

Here is the aioli on top of some Zesty salmon cakes.

Dressing & Condiments, Paleo, Recipes, Sauces, Whole 30

Make your own ketchup

Alicia Hamilton0

I love ketchup. I was one of those kids who put it on everything. Fortunately, I don’t eat this way anymore but I still enjoy some ketchup with burgers or on home fries. Most commercial ketchups are filled with high fructose corn syrup and preservatives. Making homemade is always a good option if you want to know everything that is in your food. I enjoy the complexity of the flavors of this ketchup a lot. It has a subtle sweetness and has a good mixture of spices in it’s but not too sweet either.

Ketchup

1- 7 ounce jar of tomato paste
2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
Dash of ground cinnamon
1 pinch ground allspice
1 date coarsely chopped & soaked
3 Tablespoons water- or more to get the desired consistency

Start by soaking the date in some hot water. When it is a bit softened drain off the excess water. Add the date to a stick blender cup or a blender.
Add the remaining ingredients to the blender and blend for 30 seconds until the ingredients are well combined and make a smooth paste.
Store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge.

Dressing & Condiments, Paleo, Recipes, Sauces, Whole 30

03

Green Apple Chicken Salad

Alicia Hamilton0

Since going down the paleo/whole 30 route with my diet, I’ve been really enjoying making homemade mayonnaise. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last super long so I find ways to use it up quickly. I’ve found that chicken salad is a perfect way of using it up. I’ve been eating my chicken salad over salad greens or wrapped up in a collard green leaves. The collard green, leaf wraps are my new obsession.

Green Apple Chicken Salad

2 chicken breasts-see below for different ways to cook the chicken
1 green apple cut into a small died
½ red onion diced
1 rib of celery cut into a small dice
½- ¾ cup of homemade mayonnaise- check out my recipe here

Start by preparing the chicken as desired.

To roast the chicken- preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rub the chicken breasts with some olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked all the way through and the internal temperature reads 165 degrees with a meat thermometer. Once cooled enough to handle, dice or shred the chicken as desired.

To poach the chicken- Place chicken breasts into a sauce pot with a lid. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add water into the pan until the water is about 1 inch above the level of the meat. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling place lid on top and reduce heat to low. Let the chicken simmer for 8-10 minutes. Check the internal temperature to make sure it is thoroughly cooked and the internal temperature reads 165 degrees with a meat thermometer. Once cooled enough to handle, dice or shred the chicken as desired.

Or to save time you could always use the breast meat off of a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken then dice or shred the meat as desired.

Chop the red onion, green apple and celery all into a small dice and add to a large mixing bowl with the chicken.
Add the desired amount of mayonnaise to get the consistency you want and stir together well.

Dressing & Condiments, Paleo, Recipes, Whole 30

26

Apr

Restaurant Style Salsa

During the summer, I make fresh pico de gallo. But when tomatoes are not in season I actually to use canned tomatoes to make salsa. I love the recipe for “restaurant style salsa” by the Pioneer Woman. It’s simple and delicious. She calls for adding a bit of sugar but I just leave it out to make it compliant. You can see the original recipe here. Just ignore the part where she says to eat the salsa with cheese nachos if you are doing whole 30 😛 I use this salsa on pretty much everything- eggs, carnitas, on plantain chips, or with grilled meats. It has definitely become a staple item in out home.

Restaurant Style Salsa– adapted from the Pioneer Woman’s recipe

Ingredients:
1 14.5 ounce can of fire roasted tomatoes
2 10 Ounce Rotel diced tomatoes with Green Chilies- any variety depending on your preferred spice level.
1/2 yellow onion diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 whole Jalapeno, quartered and sliced thinly- I leave the seeds in too.
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup cilantro
1/2 whole lime juiced
Salt to taste

Kitchen equipment needed:
Food processor or blender

Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you’d like. Refrigerate salsa for 30 minutes.

Dressing & Condiments, Paleo, Recipes, Sauces, Vegetarian, Whole 30

20

Apr

Tostones (fried plantains)

Tostones
Ingredients:
1 large green plantain peeled and sliced into ½ inch rounds
3 Tablespoons of coconut oil
Garlic salt for seasoning

Kitchen equipment needed:
Cast iron skillet
Glass for flattening plantains

Heat the oil in a large skillet. Place the plantains in the oil and fry on both sides; approximately 3 1/2 minutes per side.
Remove the plantains from the pan and flatten the plantains by placing a glass over the fried plantains and pressing down. You may want to brush the bottom of the glass with some coconut oil the plantains from sticking.
Return them to the hot oil and fry 1 minute on each side or until crispy and lightly browned. Sprinkle with garlic salt to taste and serve immediately.

Paleo, Recipes, Vegetarian, Whole 30

20

Apr